Hijiki Brown Rice

What is hijiki?

Hijiki is a brown seaweed that grows near stony shores around Japan and other parts of Asia. It has a briny taste and is most commonly served as a side dish, paired with thinly sliced carrots, tofu, and simmered in mirin and soy sauce. It’s also added to soups, salads, and stir fries. 

For this recipe, we are using enough hijiki to impart a briny taste to the rice, but not so much that it overwhelms the dish. It’s the perfect balance between, briny, sweet, and savory. 

And while hijiki usually needs to be soaked before it can be used, we are skipping this step and letting the rice cooker work its magic. Minimal amount of work for maximum flavor – that’s how we like it! 

How to Make Hijiki Brown Rice

1. Rinse the rice under water and drain well.
2. Add the brown rice to the rice cooker inner, enough water to reach the number 2 line for brown rice, and the remaining ingredients.
3. Stir well, close the lid, and select the brown rice function. Press start.
4. Top the rice with chopped scallions before serving. Enjoy!

Variations

• Use short grain Japanese rice instead of brown rice. If you decide to do that, please select the plain function on your rice cooker.
• Add about 1/4 cup thinly sliced fried tofu pockets (aburaage) once the cooking is done, for a more traditional rice.
• Add 1/4 cup cooked adzuki beans to the inner pot for a more nutritious meal, and press start.